In a Baltimore suburb, frustrated housewife Francine attempts to keep her mental equilibrium by taking care of her dysfunctional family. Her husband Elmer is cheating on her with his secretary and running a porn cinema, which leads to a demonstration by Puritans in front of their house. The elder daughter Lulu wears skin-tight clothes and is pregnant by Bobo. Their younger teenage son Dexter is a sex addict who fantasizes about women’s feet.

Bullied by Elmer and his mistress and constantly belittled and criticized by her own mother, poor Francine eventually succumbs to the lure of alcohol. It is only an encounter with attractive cinema owner Todd Tomorrow, who specializes in art films, that changes Francine’s life entirely.